Mentor matching for Sydney business owners
Business Mentors
Sydney
A search-led service for Sydney business owners who want a mentor matched to their specific situation. We run a private search against your brief and present three vetted Sydney-based mentors. You pick one. They invoice you directly. We step out.
Why Sydney business owners use this service
- Senior search professional runs the matching, not a directory
- Three vetted Sydney-based mentors per shortlist
- Built-in fallback within the first three sessions of the engagement
- Mentor invoices you directly. We take no commission from mentors.
- First call is free
Talk to John directly
A 15 to 30 minute call to work out whether the model fits. Free, no obligation.
Thanks. John has your details.
He'll call you back within one business day. If it's urgent, ring 0407 900 234.
Why this works
A search professional runs the matching, not an algorithm
Senior search runs the brief
John has run executive search for 30 years. The same process applied to mentor matching: take the brief properly, source against it, vet the candidates, present three. You hire what you're shown.
Three vetted Sydney mentors per shortlist
The standard shortlist is three Sydney-based mentors who have personally operated at or above your level of complexity. For a genuinely specialist brief, the shortlist may be two. If the engaged mentor isn't a fit within the first three sessions of the engagement, you move to another mentor from the same shortlist at no further engagement fee.
No commission from mentors
The mentor invoices you directly for sessions. We are not paid by the mentor and have no financial interest in the mentoring relationship after the introduction is made.
What kinds of mentor we match
Eight common categories, and the briefs that don't fit a category
The eight below are the most common entry points. Most owners recognise their problem somewhere in this list. But the brief drives the search, not the category. Mergers and acquisitions, taking the business overseas, a partner buy-out, a divestment, a joint venture: if a senior operator has lived through it, we can usually source a Sydney-based mentor who has. The first call is where we figure out which.
Sales and growth
Pipeline, pricing, sales process, getting the next stage of revenue without burning out the team.
Learn more about sales and growth mentorsFinance and cash flow
Margins, working capital, forecasting, the numbers your accountant doesn't always explain.
Learn more about finance and cash flow mentorsOperations and delivery
Bottlenecks, throughput, quality, the gap between what you sell and what you actually deliver.
Learn more about operations and delivery mentorsPeople and leadership
Hiring, performance, hard conversations, building a team that doesn't need you in the room.
Learn more about people and leadership mentorsFounder bottleneck and delegation
Every decision still routes through you and the business can't grow until that changes.
Learn more about founder bottleneck and delegation mentorsSuccession, exit and ownership transition
Preparing to sell, handing over to the next generation, or bringing partners in or out.
Learn more about succession, exit and ownership transition mentorsGovernance and board-level
Board structure, shareholder agreements, the reporting rhythm that keeps everyone honest.
Learn more about governance and board-level mentorsGeneral business mentor
A senior operator alongside you for the broad picture, not one specific problem.
Learn more about general business mentorsNot on this list? Talk to John. The first call is free and the search is built around your brief, not a fixed menu.
See the full category descriptions →
About John Morrow
A search professional behind every Sydney match
John Morrow founded Managers & Directors in 1998. He has spent thirty years running search and recruitment engagements for owner-led businesses, and the same private-search method drives every Business Mentors Sydney brief. The search is run by a person who has done this work for a long time, not by a directory or a marketplace.
Every brief is taken personally by John, every shortlist is built personally by John, and every introduction is made personally by John. After the placement, John steps out of the mentoring relationship. The mentor and the client run the engagement directly.
GAICD
Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors
GIA
Governance Institute of Australia, Governance and Risk
30 years
Search and recruitment engagements for owner-led businesses
Founder
Managers & Directors Pty Ltd, established 1998
How the search works
Four steps from call to placement
Two to four weeks, typically, from the first call to a mentor in the room. Faster when the brief is a fit for the mentors already in the pool, longer when the search has to go wider. The detail lives on the How it works page. The shape sits below.
The first call.
A free 15 to 30 minute conversation. We work out what kind of mentor fits, whether the model is right for you, and what the engagement looks like. No pressure, no slides.
The brief.
Once engaged, we write the brief. You confirm it by email. The brief is what the search is run against. It is the document the shortlist is judged by.
The shortlist.
Three vetted Sydney-based mentors, each with relevant operating experience. You receive a presentation pack and meet the mentors you want to meet. One to two weeks from engagement, depending on the brief.
The placement.
You pick the mentor. We make the introduction. The mentor sends you their engagement letter and invoices you directly. We step out of the mentoring relationship.
Fees
Two costs, clearly separated
You pay us an engagement fee for the search, briefing, and shortlist. Standard Match starts at $4,500 plus GST, with 50% on signing the engagement letter and 50% on shortlist presentation. You pay the mentor directly for sessions, at rates set between you and the mentor. We do not take any commission from the mentor, and we have no financial interest in the mentoring relationship after the introduction is made.
Standard Match
From $4,500 plus GST.
Specialist Match
Scoped at the first call.
Payment terms
50% on signing. 50% on shortlist presentation.
Shortlist fallback
First three sessions. No further engagement fee.
Common questions
The questions most owners ask first
A 15 to 30 minute conversation, usually by phone. We work out the shape of the brief, whether the model is right for you, and what the engagement looks like. If it's not the right fit, we'll say so. The first call is free. Up to two further pre-engagement calls are available without charge if the brief needs more shaping. After that, search starts when the engagement letter is signed and the deposit is paid.
The standard shortlist is three vetted mentors. For a genuinely specialist brief where there are only a small number of suitable people in Sydney, the shortlist may be two. If the engaged mentor isn't a practical fit within the first three sessions of the engagement, you move to another mentor from the same shortlist at no further engagement fee. The fallback is built into the engagement letter so it's not a goodwill conversation later. A fresh search outside the original shortlist is treated as a new engagement.
Yes. Once we've made the introduction, the relationship between you and the mentor runs directly. The mentor invoices you. You set the cadence. We step out of the mentoring relationship and don't take any cut of subsequent sessions. Most engagements continue beyond the first few months because the relationship is working, not because of any contractual lock-in.
No. The mentor invoices you directly for sessions. We are not paid by the mentor and have no financial interest in the mentoring relationship after introduction.
Take the next step
Ready to talk about what kind of mentor fits your business?
A short call. We hear the brief, you hear the model, and we both know whether to take the next step. The first call is free.
Tell us a bit about your business
Thanks. John has your details.
He'll call you back within one business day. If it's urgent, ring 0407 900 234.